Confocal microscopy of fluids under static pressure

There are few reliable methods for obtaining equations of state for fluids under static pressure. We are developing confocal microscopy to investigate fluids in a diamond-anvil cell. Unlike conventional optical microscopy, confocal microscopes collect data point-by-point, enabling three-dimensional image reconstruction. By combining these images with Fabry-Perot interference measurements, we determine the volume and refractive index, as a function of pressure, in the same experiment.